Conveyer mechanism



June 24, 1930.

w. J. KOCH .CONV'EYER MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1928 I INVENTOR. VII/lam J. K0 h;

BY M

ATTORNEY.

June 24, 1930'. w. J. KOCH 1,768,482

CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 12, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY I QINVENTOR.

June 24, 1930. w. J. KOCH CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 12, 1928 4 sheets-sheet INVENTORk WHY/am J7 Koc wfim ATTORNEY June 24, 1930. w, J. KO H l.768,482

CONVEYER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 12, 1928 4 Sheets-Shed 4' INVENTOR. Will/am J. och.

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ATTORNEY Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES WILLIAM. JOHN KOCH, OF MIDLAND PARK, KNAPP CORPORATION, OF RIDGEWOOD,

JERSEY PATENT OFFICE New JERSEY, 'AssIeNon TO Fenian new JERSEY, A conronA'rIonor NEW 'convnyna MECHANISM Application filed January 12, 1928. Serial No. 246,156.

The present invention relates to conveyer mechanism and has for an object to provide 1' an improved mechanism for handling a series of similar articles. The invention has been evolved in connection with the development of a conveyer mechanism for'conveying cans to a boxing machine and for convenience of description'this embodiment of the invention will be more particularly line IVIV of Fig. 1 and apparatus.

. of the conveyer chains.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line VV of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line-VIVI of Fig. 2.

The conveyer mechanism shown for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention is designed to receive cans moving in a single row from a chute 5 at the right of the machine and to separate the same into two parallel rows and deliver them to two parallel runways 6. The conveyer 7 comprises similar chains 8 at opposite sides of the machine carried by two pairs of suitable sprocket wheels 9, 10 secured respectively to an upper shaft 11 and a lower .shaft 12 mounted. in bearings on opposite sides of the The shaft 12 is carried in ad justable bearings 15 to facilitate tensioning A reach rod comprising a bracket 16engag'ing the upper shaft 11, a bracket 17 engaging the lowershaft 12 and a rod 18-rotatable in the bracket 16 and threaded into the bracket 17 .may

hold the shafts in spaced relation and aid in making adjustment of the bearings 15. The conveyer chains 8 carry a series of transverse can supports 20 each having. a can engaging slide 21 mountedithereon for movement transversely of the conveyer.

Each slide is provided with apair of guide I pins 22 which extend through slot 23 in the can support 20and engage one or the other of two cams 25, 26, which are arranged to move the slides laterallytoward the centre of the conveyer during the forward movement, and back toward the sides of the same. during the return movement on the under side of the mechanism. As shown, the slides are arranged alternately on opposite sides of the conveyer so that as the cans move forward, alternate cans are moved to the opposite sides of the conveyer and toward the two runways 6. The inward movement of the slides occurs when the pins '22 engage the diagonal portions 27,28 of the cams to move theslides toward the center of the conveyer and the slides by engaging the'ends of the respective'cans move the same laterally of the conveyer so that the cans lie in staggered relation asrthey reach the upper portion of the conveyer and are thus in position to pass alternately to the runways 6. Each can is held in position on a support 20 by a cross-bar 30,, as best shown :in Fig. .1. The delivery runways 6 extend close to the conveyer atthe upper end thereof to receive the cans from said conveyer. The cross-bars 30 are retracted as they approachthe ends of the runways 6 to avoid interference. therewith, but the retractivemovement of each cross-bar does not occur until the can engaged thereby is discharged ontothe runway or is about to be. The cross-bars are supported on brackets 31 pivoted to the chains 8 and the position ofthe brackets relative to the supporting conveyer chain is controlled by y rollers 32 which engage a suitable cam. In theconstruction shown,.the' cam forms a part of or consists of the plate 83 which extends across the width of the apparatus and longitudinally along the upper run of the conveyer between thesprocket Wheels 9 and 10. This plate may be secured to the underside of and may besupported by the cams 25, 26. The lower end of the cani 33 V is curved downwardly as indicated in Fig. 3 to engage each roller 32v during its upward movement in order to position the corresponding cross-bar 30 to receive a can from the chute or guideway 5 and hold it in position on the corresponding transverse support 20. At the upper end of the conveyer the rollers 32 pass the end of the cam 33 in suitably timed relation to permit the brackets 31 and cross-bars 30 to drop below the ends of the guideways 6 to pass under the same. Ordinarily it is unnecessary to provide a positively acting cam engaging the upper surface of "the rollers to positively move the same downwardly at the upper end of. the conveyer. Preferably, and as shown, the upper end of the cam or plate 33 is arranged to give a slight forward turning movement to the brackets 31 to push the can forward tothe guideway v6.

The particular structure shown is illustrative merely and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A conveyor mechanism for advancing articles and separating the same into a plurality of rows comprising a longitudinally movable conveyor, a plurality of laterally movable .article engaging elements carried thereby,.and means for moving said elements selectively to predetermined lateral position whereby the conveyed articles may be delivered selectively at predetermined positions, substantially as described.

2. A conveyer mechanism for advancing articles and separating the same into a plurality of rows comprising a longitudinally movable conveyer, transversely movable article engaging elements carried thereby and cams arranged to move :alternatearticle en gagingelements in opposite directions, substantially as and for the purpose described,

8. A conveyer mechanism for advancing articles and separating the same into a plurality of rows comprising a bed plate, a pair of cams adjacent thereto, a conveyer movable over said bed plate, article engaging elements carried by said eonveyer, said elements having cam engaging members engageable with said cam to cause alternate elementsto move in opposite directions laterally to separate the conveyed articles into two groups. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 3d day of January, 1928.

VILLIAM JOHN -KOCH. 

